Bubba Wallace made history on Sunday by becoming the first Black driver to win a major race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. His Brickyard 400 victory came after two overtimes, a rain delay, and fuel concerns, as he held off defending champion Kyle Larson in the final laps.
The win is Wallace’s third career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first among the sport’s four crown jewel events. It also ended a 100-race winless streak and secured his spot in the playoffs.
Wallace stayed focused through multiple restarts, beating Larson twice after the rain delay. His crew debated fuel strategy, but Wallace chose to race on without pitting. “I want to win this straight up,” he said.
Ty Gibbs won the In-Season Challenge tournament, finishing 21st to collect the $1 million prize and a title belt. Ty Dillon, who made the final as the 32nd seed, placed 28th.
Tire issues took contenders like Austin Cindric and Joey Logano out of the race, and several drivers including Ross Chastain exited before Lap 100 due to crashes.
A brief rain delay paused the race with four laps to go. The start time had been moved up due to forecasts, but rain still impacted race strategies.
Cookie Monster, serving as grand marshal, joined driver introductions and advised racers to “not stop and ask for directions.”
The NASCAR Cup Series continues next Sunday in Iowa.
